Auckland Council’s Pt Chevalier Library has been closed to the public until further notice, Council announced today.
In a statement, Council said the building will temporarily close (from 6pm today) as a precautionary measure due to ongoing problems with water leaking inside the building.
Auckland Council’s Head of Community Delivery – Central & East, Kevin Marriott says the closure is about taking a proactive and precautionary approach to protect the health and safety of our customers and staff.
“Our top priority is providing a healthy environment for everyone,” said Mr Marriott.
“We have made the difficult decision to temporarily close the library now before the quality of the internal space deteriorates to a level that might impact the health of our kaimahi and our library users.
“The library, which has long suffered from weathertightness issues, has a damp odour and we want to carry out further assessment to ensure air quality levels remain safe. Recent heavy rain appears to have made the situation worse.
“We understand that this temporary closure will cause some inconvenience to the Pt Chevalier community and we appreciate your patience as we assess the next steps.”
Mr Marriott says the closure will allow time to complete further assessment work that will inform any next steps and that staff will be working closely with the incoming local board on the matter.
The design of the building, which first opened in 1989, has presented water tightness challenges for a number of years.
The council has worked to address and manage these issues, with regular remediation and improvements works being undertaken, including improvements to roofing, guttering, windows and adjacent external ground levels.
However, in recent weeks, with periods of heavy rain, the situation has worsened, said Mr Marriott, with water ingress damaging flooring and décor.
Customers and staff have also reported a damp odour within the building and signs of mildew.
Library staff will be present on Saturday 8 October morning to receive election ballot papers and returned books in the foyer of the library.
